Gray Rain, Red Snow
by Sarudoshi
Summary: the world's been reborn into a new age of war, and the pack has been dragged right into it. But the old ghosts from the past want their heads; will the pack make it to Paradise this time? and why does she drive him crazy...? KibaOC, light TsumeOC; rated M for language, slight gore and smut moments. R&R please! AU
1. Intro - Through the Blood

_**Through the Blood**_

_War is a sickness._

_Man has waged war with itself for well over seven thousand years._  
_They are the reason for the latest war that has waged on for forty years._  
_Cities have gone up in mushroom-shaped clouds, the stink of blood making the once-clean air pungent and horrid to breathe in._

_And now it has reached past the boundaries of mankind…_

* * *

A hail of silver rain flew at the darkened area around the warehouse.

He grimaced at the graze on his right arm that bled freely onto the ground, poking his head out past the oil barrel at the darkness, his nose wrinkled in disgust as he still smelled them out there.

Waiting for him to step out in the open.

Pff. Fat chance in hell _that_ was gonna happen; he wasn't born yesterday.

His companion scanned the near wood for any sign of their quarry, praying vainly that someone would come.

"_Shit_, how're we gonna get out of this?"

"Shut up, I'm trying to think..!" He hissed, elbowing his comrade sharply.

Sky-colored blue shards shot him a death glare from beneath the hood that shielded her face. "One of us has to distract them; is **that** your big plan?" She demanded in an equally sharp whisper.

Amber eyes locked on the sky-blue shards.  
"Well, what the hell do **you** have up your sleeve? If we _don't_ make a move now, we're up shit creek." He growled.

She groaned under her breath and glared at her companion.  
"I'll go; I'm faster than you are." A small wry smirk graced her lips, "once they're diverted, make a run for the trees. I'll follow." She instructed.

He nodded, his amber eyes turning sharp and hard.  
"Try not to get killed." He gripped her sleeve tightly, releasing her wrist as his comrade nodded back and moved away from his side.

A loud howl ripped into the night air as a black she-wolf flew out from behind the warehouse's back wall; the hail of silver rain began again, flying at the wolf.

She darted around the flying bullets, ignoring the sharp throb of pain that coursed through her nerves when a bullet grazed her left hip, leaping high and lunging at one of the gunmen.  
Blood flew into the air as her sharp teeth tore viciously into the man's throat; he fell back with a muffled '_thud_', his gun flying from his hands.

"**Damn dogs**!" One of his comrades fired at the black wolf.

She dodged in time, snarling and tearing into his throat, knocking him down as blood stained her muzzle and teeth.

The last two men fired bullets at the wolf; she snarled loudly, '_**NOW**_!' She roared as she flew at the one nearest, pain flooding her head as the spare hit her right shoulder when she went for his friend's throat.

A low howl rang out as a streak of white hurtled into the last gunman out of the corner of her eye; she looked up from having finished off the human to see a white wolf had come to her aid, his teeth ripping the man's jugular, blood staining his muzzle.

She watched the white wolf straighten from his kill to look at her, her silver eyes locking gaze with his fierce amber stare.

Her fur bristled along her spine, 'I didn't need any _help_.' She declared frostily.  
He huffed and scowled at her, 'The hell you didn't. That bastard almost had _you_ for a fur coat.' He retorted.

She growled, 'What the hell is it to _**you**_? It's not like you're required to give a shit about my well-being.' She demanded, flashing her teeth and lifting her tail high.

He growled back, his amber eyes sharp. 'You're a female, its common sense to protect someone weaker than me…'

'I'm _weaker _than you?'

She knocked him down faster than he could blink, baring her teeth in his face and glowering down at him, her tail in the air like a flag.

He looked surprised for a moment, subconsciously admiring her quick reflexes.

"What in hell are you **doing**?" A low growl perked their ears and made both wolves look up alertly.

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Her comrade scowled at the black and white wolves, one hand poised on the handle of his machine gun and the other in the pocket of his vest, his amber eyes suspicious and irritable at the same time.

The black wolf glared at him and got off the white wolf stiff-leggedly, shifting. "Nothing. Just talking." She replied, crossing her arms at her chest.

He snorted.  
"Yeah, sure. So who the hell're you?" He demanded of the white wolf that straightened and shook his fur of dirt.

He looked up at the gray wolf, 'My name's Kiba, I've been travelling for the past few months.' He explained.

She lifted a brow and shared a brief look with her comrade, huffing. "How did you find our resistance?" She demanded curiously.

He met her sky-blue eyes, 'I heard about your pack; you've been giving hell to the humans for a long while,' he replied.

Her comrade nodded slightly. "Fair enough; you can rest up at our place for a few days. If you've got somewhere to be, you can leave after that. Deal?"

He nodded, 'Deal.'

She shot a look at her comrade, scowling at the white wolf before huffing.  
"Let's get moving before they send another squad out," she declared, turning to lead the way away from the old warehouse.

Both males followed the she-wolf's irritable stride into the darkness of the woods.

* * *

_**review please. thanks~ :'D  
reviews make me happy and spur me to keep writing so reviews/ helpful critique would be muchly appreciated~ ^^**_


	2. Titanium Hearts

**_Titanium Hearts_**

* * *

Amber light burned from the dim lights of the cave.

The black wolf grimaced and bit back a growl when the warmth from her friend's fingers hovered over the injury to her hip, her claws digging into the dirt floor.

She scowled patiently at her friend, "Keep still! It's not as bad as your shoulder." She scolded, indicating the bandaged upper part of her right arm.

The wolf scowled at her and obeyed, letting her continue to mend her hip.

Her silver eyes glanced over at the main part of the cave before returning to her friend, "So he just showed up out of nowhere, huh?"

She followed her gaze and wrinkled her nose. "Yeah, he saved me."  
She clucked her tongue. "Just a fluke, that's all it was. I could've killed that human." She muttered.

The younger woman shook her head and chuckled softly. "Sounds like he likes you." She said.

Her cheeks flushed and she shot her a look, "Don't kid yourself, Eri. He's not my type." She defended stiffly.  
She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Whatever you say, Nik."

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Birds chirped in the woods outside of the cave.

She yawned and rotated her left arm, fighting the urge to do the same to her still-bum shoulder as she straightened and walked out of the cave to the small pond in the clearing behind their "headquarters".

"Going out alone?" A voice wondered behind her, making her start and reach for the dagger at her back.

She turned with her mouth contorted into a mid-snarl and met the amber gaze of the white wolf from the night before.

Her muscles eased and she scoffed, releasing the handle of her dagger and letting her hand drop to her side.  
"I was, yeah. What's it to you?" She wondered.

The wolf shifted into the form of a man that looked younger than her brother with wild brown hair and cold glacier-colored eyes; she ignored the flush that dashed across her cheeks and scowled at his handsome guise. "You shouldn't go alone." He mused, moving closer towards her.

She rolled her eyes and met his lighter-colored blue gaze, "Look, I can take care of myself. I don't need some hotshot stray covering my back…"

"I never said I was those things." He shrugged, his blue eyes sharp despite his casual gesture, "I needed some fresh air too." He explained.

It was instinctive of him to want to protect a female he was familiar with, but this girl was making it hard for him to be patient.

She looked away before snorting, "Fine. Just don't lag behind, okay?" She growled, turning her back on him to storm off towards the clearing.

He followed, his longer legs making it easy for him to match her stride. "That coming from a woman who's shorter than a tree stump, yeah." He mused aloud.  
Her blue eyes narrowed, "Shut up, wonder boy. Just because you got in my way the other night doesn't mean I'm gonna beg you to fuck or anything like that." She warned.

He scoffed. "I wasn't expecting anything of the sort, especially from a bitch like you." He shot back, bristled slightly.

She scoffed back. "Well good! Keep it that way." She snapped.

He scowled at her, huffing and resisting the urge to drag their small spat on further; if he assumed her future actions like he did, he'd most likely miss a limb for continuing with his words.  
So he quieted and stuffed his fists into the pockets of his faded leather jacket, letting her lead the way through the brush.

Now at her back, he couldn't help but note the defining curve in her hips and the way her tail was poised in midair, a trait that made him smile despite himself.  
_She's one tough girl_, he thought, his tail wagging a little.

Her eyes glanced over her shoulder at her quieted companion and she felt her face heat up when she saw he was ogling her ass.

She clenched her sharpened teeth, "Take a damn picture; it'll last longer." She declared, jolting him from his staring and making him straighten.

He blinked and then glared at her, a red flush staining his pale cheeks before he scoffed and folded his arms at his chest.  
"Why the hell wouldja assume I'd be staring at your ass?" He demanded indignantly, making her stop walking.

She scoffed and glared at him, irritated that he stood to at least a foot taller than her, her nose wrinkling in distaste.  
"'Cuz you're a guy, and I'm a girl! Do I need to fucking _spell it out _for you?" She growled, her hands curling into fists at her sides as she wished nothing more than to get away from him.

He snorted, "Yeah, maybe you should! Cuz apparently that pole up your ass makes you think you're smarter than I am…!"

She flashed her teeth as her eyes tightened to look like broken shards of the sky.  
"Of course _**YOU**_ would know if I had a pole up my ass because you were _drooling over it_ like the _**cheap shit **_you are!" She snarled, her claws growing as they dug into her palms.

He glared coldly at her, his own hands balling into fists at his sides as his patience was slipping like grease through his fingers.  
"There's nothing to 'drool over', as you so blatantly put it. You're delusional if you think I'd spend **_one second _**staring at your ass." He growled, turning his back to her to return to the cave to keep his impatient conscience from throttling her.

"Fine, fuck you too! **Cheap bastard**!" She snarled, watching him throw up his left hand and give her the finger as he stormed away.

She spat at him and scoffed, heading to the pond.

A loud explosion shook the ground, making her halt in mid-step and look up alertly.

"**FIRE**!" A human's voice bellowed out into the forest as a sea of bullets flew through the trees.

"_Shit_," she muttered, turning and sprinting headlong towards the cave as fast as her feet could carry her.

One impatient soldier lunged out and fired at her open back.

A loud snarl rang out as a streak of white flew at the soldier, his teeth ripping into the man's neck and sending blood flying into the air, making her skid to a halt again and turn around to look at her savior.

"Come _**on**_!" He grabbed her hand and sprinted to the cave at top speed, handing her the loaded gun he had loathed to carry and felt relieved to hand off to her.

She shot him a cold look before she cocked the gun and turned to fire off one round at the soldiers, the stink of blood spilling out into the air a sign she'd made a critical hit.

"Get moving, Kiba; I'll fend them off!" She snapped at him, firing another round.

He scoffed. "The hell you are! Let's go, now!" He barked, grabbing her arm and pulling her after his lead.

She struggled, but of course he was stronger, so she reluctantly resigned to her fate and let him drag her away from the frontlines, making a mental note to beat him shitless when she got a chance.

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He staggered back slightly when she pushed on his chest, rubbing his cheek gingerly from when she smacked him with the back of her right hand moments ago.

Her right arm screamed at her to never move it again; she grimaced and glared up at him, her teeth flashing. "You bastard, I could've held them off!" She spat.

His blue eyes were turned amber as he glared down at her, the wolf in him growling at being pushed around by a female like her.  
"That's a load of shit and you know it! If I'd have left you back there, you'd be dead now." He fired back, flashing his teeth.

She growled in frustration and made to smack him again; he caught her wrist in time, surprising her.

She glared cold daggers up at him as he glowered down at her, his lip curled into a slight snarl. "I'm not some weak _bitch_ you think you can _boss around_." She warned lowly.

He ducked his head to glare closer at her angered and alarmed blue eyes, "And I'm not some weak _human_ you can use as your personal _punching bag_." He growled lowly, subconsciously surprised to see a brief flash of fear shine in her eyes at being so close to his furious eyes that intimidated her.

A shiver rolled down her spine and she flashed her teeth. "**Fuck you**." She spat.

Someone cleared their throat behind them, making both wolves freeze and turn to see Eri standing in the doorway of the spare room.

Nikki cleared her throat and jerked free of his grip.  
"What is it, Eri?" She asked, her voice calm despite her raised hackles and the small pool of want that warmed the bottom of her belly, her blue eyes meeting her friend's silver gaze.

She spared a glance at the pissy Kiba, meeting her friend's stare. "Hige said dinner's ready." She announced quietly, turning back to the main part of the warehouse they'd taken shelter in.

The silence turned awkward between them.

She looked up at him and looked away, rubbing her right arm gingerly as she walked out first to go eat.  
He stared after her, the irritation and anger steered towards her slowly fading from view as he followed wordlessly.

* * *

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	3. Leave My Body (Prelude)

_**Leave My Body – Prelude**_

* * *

She spat out her water, coughing. "I-I'm _**WHAT**!?_" She demanded.

He glared at her. "You heard me. You're going to find Zoli's pack. They haven't made contact with us for the past several days and I need someone to see where they are." He explained sternly, catching the younger male wolf smirk slightly at her distraught face.  
"And take Kiba with you." He added calmly, making the white wolf look at him incredulously, mirroring his baby sister's expression.

"_**Why me**_?" Both white and black wolves demanded in chorus.

Tsume rolled his eyes. "Because, one: there is no way in hell I'm sending you out there alone, and two: to put you to work. Both of you have been arguing like there's no tomorrow and it's making the rest of us crazy." He declared, glaring from one wolf to the other.

Kiba looked at his counterpart and scoffed, folding his arms at his chest.  
"When do you want us to leave?" He asked patiently, pissy that he'd been paired with an ungrateful woman like his sister (even though he relished the idea of getting away from things).

"As soon as possible; there's no telling how long we've got to waste here." Tsume said.

Nikki scowled at her brother before she sighed heavily. "Okay, fine." She straightened to her feet from sitting on an old crate and went to grab a bag and supplies.  
Kiba watched her leave, a slight scowl on his face.

"Kiba." Tsume said, perking his ears and making him look at the older wolf.

He glanced in the direction his sister went, "I don't care what the hell you argue about or have been arguing about. Just keep an eye on my sister, alright?" He requested quietly, earning a slightly surprised look from the younger male.

He watched her lift a pistol-looking handgun from one of the bags they'd salvaged from the cave before putting it in her bag, nodding.  
"I can't make any other promises, but I'll look out for her." He replied in the same tone, extending a hand to shake on their deal.

He took his hand and grasped his wrist tight in trust. "Thank you. If anything happens to us, we'll send a messenger." He added.  
He nodded again and smiled a little, "I doubt that would happen, but okay. Thanks for the head's up." He said.

Tsume smirked at him. "Same to you."

"Oi, let's get moving, Kiba. Before the dawn comes." Nikki declared as she came towards the two wolves, tossing him a bag of supplies and weaponry.  
He caught it expertly and watched the gray wolf embrace his sister and squeeze her back.

"Be careful." He advised her, nuzzling her cheek as he used to when she was a pup.  
She nodded and smiled up at her brother. "You too. Good luck." She kissed his cheek, smiling again before she turned to her companion.  
Kiba nodded to Tsume and let her lead the way to the nearest exit.

Tsume watched them leave and sighed a little. "I hope they don't kill each other before they find Zoli." He muttered more to himself.

Eri hooked her arm around his elbow and kissed his cheek. "Let's hope not." She said, meeting his softened amber stare and letting him drag her away from the main part of the warehouse to a hopefully warm bed.

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The sound of beeping machines hung on the air as she entered the observation room wordlessly.

One of the men at the front monitor started at seeing his mistress standing behind his chair, turning to address the woman.  
"Milady, pardon me; I had no idea you were standing there…"

"Are we making any headline?" She asked, her voice a silky purr.

He did his best to keep from blushing at her alluring tone. "Yes, Milady. According to our coordinates, we've finally located the resistance force." He explained.

The woman smiled triumphantly, "Good, good. Find those pests and exterminate them." She ordered, the purr in her voice gone and replaced with a malignant snap, making the rest of the men in the room snap to.

_**"Yes, Lady Jaguara!****" **_They exclaimed in unison.

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He turned the map upside-down and then normally.  
"Tell me you know how to read this damn thing." He wondered of his comrade, perking her ears as she looked at him from listening to the noises around them.

She sighed and snatched the map from his hands, looking at it squarely.  
"It's not very hard, y'know. North is cold, south is hot, west is dry, and east is ocean. Simple." She explained, looking at it again and making a face.  
"I think Tsume said Zoli's place was north. He told me it was on an island." She mused.

He lifted a brow and watched her put the map away in her bag, nodding. "In that case, we'd better get moving before it's dark." He muttered, leading the way in the intended direction.

She followed, trotting a little to keep up with his longer stride.

"C'mon, shortstop, the day's wasting!" He said lightly over his shoulder, hearing her growl a curse under her breath behind him.  
"Shut it, titanium-teeth." She snapped impatiently.

* * *

_**review please! all reviews/ helpful critiques are muchly appreciated~ xD**_


	4. Leave My Body: My Blood (Conclusion)

_:: "Leave My Body" - Florence + the Machine, Ceremonials (2011)/ "My Blood" - Ellie Goulding, Halcyon (2012) ::_

**_Leave My Body – My Blood (Conclusion)_**

* * *

The wind howled lowly outside of the small tent they'd brought, rattling the fabric of the covering.

He tossed a small twig onto the fire between them, seeing the embers burn bright as they danced and rose up.  
She rubbed her arms gingerly, hugging her ribs and placing her palms to the warm fire.

His blue eyes were studying her when she looked up from warming her hands.

Her own blue gaze narrowed. "What?"  
He blinked and looked at the burning flames before him, rubbing his hands after placing his palms to the warmth. "I didn't say anything."

She rolled her eyes. "Right, and I'm the Flower Maiden." She muttered.

He chuckled a little, perking her ears. She made a face. "Now what?" She asked suspiciously.

He smirked wryly up at her from beneath his lashes. "You as the Flower Maiden would be a total irony in and of itself." He said.

She huffed and sat back against her bag, her arms folding at her chest. "What, I'm not **_perfect_** enough to be the Flower Maiden? I'm not a fairy like her? Is _that _it?" She quipped snidely.

Kiba smirked again. "All of the above, princess." He answered honestly, a teasing look in his eye.

Nikki blushed slightly and scoffed. "Don't call me '_princess_', wolf boy." She growled.  
He sort of tilted his head to the side. "What don't you like about 'princess'?" He asked.

She lowered her gaze to stare at the fire. "It's none of yer damn business, but I don't like it – hell, I hate it – because it makes me sound weak. And I **hate** feeling weak." She said the last words with a soft growl in her throat.

Kiba looked at her narrowed blue eyes and felt himself smile a little. "You're not weak. You wouldn't be able to boss me around if you were." He said, perking her ears as well as his own.

What the hell was he saying?

Nikki lowered her gaze again, removing one hand of the fire to brush some of her hair back.  
"That's true. Still think you're a puss for taking the shit I give you." She mused wryly, smirking up at him.

He smirked back and huffed. "The hell I am. You haven't seen shit with me." He quipped.

She scoffed and looked at him brazenly. "I haven't, have I? What the hell's stopping you, then?" She challenged, perking his ears.

Kiba smirked again and sighed as he leaned back against his bag. "I might be too much for you. You _**are **_Tsume's baby sister, after all; just because your brother is considered a badass jerk doesn't mean you're living up to fill his shoes." He said.

Nikki scoffed and scowled at him. "Like hell you are; I can take you." She growled.

He raised both brows briefly before scoffing back, straightening to stand above her. "Go on then, hotshot; try to knock me down." He challenged, flashing his teeth teasingly.

She scoffed again and straightened, tensing slightly before she flew at him, making to tackle him down.

He side-stepped, dodging a swing at his face from her fist, taking the second fist that connected with his gut; she threw him down before he could blink, his body hitting the tent floor with a muffled '_oof_'.

"Ow." He muttered, looking up at her as she panted softly, her face splitting into a smug grin as she looked down at him.

She huffed and wagged her tail in the air, "So what was all that shit about you being 'too much' for me?" She wondered coolly.

Kiba scoffed slightly, making a face. "Shut up."

Nikki chuckled, looking down at him and blushing slightly as she noted to herself that he looked especially handsome when the light from the fire bounced off his pale face and highlighted the mop of wild brown hair that framed his too-perfect face.

He looked up at her and wanted to groan softly at seeing her blue eyes showed that her defenses were down, the light from the burning embers of the fire bouncing off the slightly shaggy black hair that framed her beautiful face.

**_Why_** in the name of the Sweet Moon did she _**do this **_to him?

Nikki blushed again and almost started when he sat up a little, his thumb and index finger catching her chin and tilting her head up.

"K-Kiba," she whispered softly before he tilted his head to press his mouth to hers slowly, deeply.

The wolf in him howled in his ears as he felt her slacken against him and her hands reach to curl in his hair as she pressed her mouth firmly against his own.  
Kiba held her to his chest, groaning into her mouth when he felt her lean into his lap, his tongue roving over her lips hungrily.

Nikki moaned a little and trembled, forcing him to cling to her tighter, her fingers in his hair knotting in the wild strands as he kissed her harder, his gestures demanding more.  
His thighs grinded against hers and he heard her squeak softly when she felt him press against her, his hand roaming from her back to her hips, his left hand stealing inside her shirt and cupping a breast.

She moaned again and yelped a little when he groped her breast, pulling away from his hungry mouth to gasp and pant softly, moaning softly when his teeth found her throat and he bit her. "K-Kiba, please." She gasped his name, yelping when he pushed her onto her back, pinning her to the tent floor.

"What?" He growled, his hands pulling his jacket off before he ducked to kiss her, his lower extremities screaming at him to take her now and make her his otherwise he'd go mad for wanting her too long.

She pushed him off gently, kissing him passionately as she stripped him of his shirt, her fingers dragging down his chest and belly.

The air he sucked between his teeth came out as a hiss through his sharpened teeth before he moaned at her innocent touch, glancing down to see her hands had found his jeans and she unzipped them.  
"Nikki…!" He groaned when she stroked him, moaning her name before he pinned her back to the tent floor, unzipping her jeans and yanking her panties down as he pushed his jeans and underwear down.

Nikki blushed at seeing his erection and reached to grab him before he pinned her wrists to the floor with a growl of warning, both the wolf in him and his throbbing extremity screaming at him to take her and make her scream for him and **_only _**him.

Kiba heard her scream when he slammed into her, her hips jolting when he entered, her legs quickly wrapping around his waist as she moaned loudly in need.

The wind howled louder outside the tent as their combined moans and screams rose into the air.

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Her core muscles ached dully.

She opened an eye stiffly to see her companion sleeping soundly next to her, his wild brown hair sticking out and seeming wilder than usual.  
A soft grin formed on her lips as she admired his sleeping form for a moment.  
She turned to curl up against his back, burying her cheek against his shoulder.

He opened an eye stiffly at feeling her move at his back, looking over his shoulder at her sleepy form, her black hair mussed and wild, making him smile.  
He yawned, rubbing sand from his eye. "Morning, princess." He grumbled sleepily, perking her ears.

She blushed and held onto his ribs, "Good morning to you too." She remarked.

Kiba chuckled softly at her remark, feeling her kiss his shoulder absently. "You look cute." He teased.  
Nikki scoffed and scowled at him, her cheeks burning. "Shut up." She growled.

He smiled to himself, reluctantly detangling her arms from his back to turn and face her.

Bite marks and healing bite marks covered her neck and chest and belly; her blue eyes were muddled and innocent, making him smile again at seeing her look so cute.

She made a face. "The hell're you staring at?" She demanded, lifting a hand out of reflex to rub at a healing bite mark on her neck.

He shrugged. "Your embarrassed face is too cute." He mused thoughtfully.  
Her cheeks burned again and she scoffed. "Don't charm me so early, Kiba." She warned him.

He rolled his eyes and brushed some hair from her face. "Yes, princess." He obliged.

Nikki held his hand to her cheek, blushing as she also took note of the bitemarks on his neck and the scratches on his shoulders and arms.  
_  
Wild night_, she thought.

Kiba kissed her softly, making her blush again and reach to hold him to her mouth, her mouth pressing against his almost in need.  
She felt him hold her to his chest, his hand at her cheek running through her bedhead hair.

Why did she feel this way? Why did she want him to never leave her?

His blue eyes were strangely gentle when they met her thoughtful stare. "Are you alright?" He asked quietly, perking her ears.

She nodded and exhaled a little. "Come here." She pulled him into her arms as she kissed him hard.

Kiba groaned softly at tasting her soft lips as he kissed back, his fingers running down her spine and making her tremble in his arms.  
Nikki shivered and moaned his name softly, kissing him again and making him moan when she pressed her breasts to his beating heart.

He groaned again and kissed her before pulling back to bury his face in her neck, "_**Sweet Moon**_, why in hell do you _**do this **_to me?" He demanded quietly into her throat.

She blushed and stroked his hair out of habit, "Do what?" She asked.

He squeezed her hips, kissing her neck, "Make it very, _very _hard for me to keep myself from making you moan and howl for me." He answered, his hot breath at her neck making the hairs on her neck and arms stand up.

She smiled wryly at his words, flattered and amused by him at the same time. "I thought we settled that last night?" She asked innocently.

Kiba growled and pulled back to make a face at her, seeing her giggle. "Very funny." He grumbled.

Nikki smiled again and kissed him. "If it lightens things, you were very, very, **very** domineering last night." She said, her tone sultry.  
He smiled despite himself and kissed back, licking her lip. "You asked for it, remember?" He quipped.

She rolled her eyes and smirked. "True." She mused.

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She could definitely tell they were getting closer.

He stopped in his tracks and looked out over the hilltop, making her stop yards behind him before she trotted through the three-inch-deep snow to stand at his side.

The wind whipped at her hair as they looked on at the abandoned railway that made a bridge to the lonely island centered in the middle of the large body of water.

Her breath came out in a soft white fog as she exhaled in relief and smiled. "We made it." She said softly.

He looked at her and smiled despite himself, subconsciously happy that she was happy, even though he wasn't entirely sure why. "We'll freeze if we just stand here for the rest of the day," he mused, stirring her from her thoughts and making her look up at him.

Nikki huffed and smirked up at him, reaching on her tiptoes to lick his nose. "Shut up and run," she teased, winking and then taking off at a sprint downhill.

Kiba rolled his eyes and chuckled, smirking after her. "You're on, wolf princess." He muttered, following at the same fast pace.

* * *

_**review please! helpful critiques/ reviews make me write more, so any critiques/ reviews are well appreciated! thanks~ :'D**_


	5. Second Chance: The Outsider

_:: "Second Chance" - Shinedown; "The Outsider" - A Perfect Circle ::_

**_Second Chance: The Outsider_**

* * *

Now that they were in the confines of the island, it seemed to close in on them.

It was almost claustrophobic.

He felt eyes on him and it made his hackles bristle out of reflex.  
His hand reached to grasp hers, making her pause minutely before she held onto his fingers, leading him further along the wide main street of the island.

"So how do you know this Zoli guy, anyway?" He asked quietly.

She saw a stray paper fly away in the crisp breeze out of the corner of her eye. "He helped supply our pack with weapons. His pack isn't as strong as ours is, but they do help us out if you can believe it."  
Her eyes tightened slightly. "Zoli even said he tried to make it to Paradise, long ago. Before the war started." She whispered the last sentence, perking his ears.

His eyes widened slightly.

It had been a long time since he'd heard that word.  
He had set out long ago (when he was old enough to survive on his own) in search of the impossible heaven. Just hearing the word 'Paradise' be mentioned sent a shiver down his spine.

He looked past the skyline of the buildings to the cold gray sky of mid-afternoon. "Did he ever say that he found it?" He wondered softly.

She shrugged.  
"They tried, he said, but the path they took proved too difficult for them. Most of his comrades didn't make it back home." She replied.

Kiba nodded slightly, perking up when the familiar scent of wolf filled his nostrils.

Nikki sniffed the air and nodded, dragging him by the hand down a side alley and then another until they found an open alcove.

Five wolves sat around a burn-barrel, talking amongst themselves and occasionally warming their palms against the flames that burned brilliantly against the gray backdrop of the cold day.  
A lanky wolf with a fat snout perked up when he caught the scent of intruding wolves, looking over at the two travelers.  
The remaining four wolves also looked over at the two wolves, almost calculating their next move.

Kiba's fur bristled beneath his skin and he wordlessly raised his tail; Nikki clamped down on his hand, shooting him a look before her face turned serene.

"What the hell're _you _doing back here, queen bitch?" One of the wolves asked gruffly, his question not perturbing the she-wolf's calm expression.

She scoffed under her breath, smiling. "It's great to see you too, Mako. Zoli around?" She asked.

Another wolf huffed. "Yeah, he's at the station. What's it to ya?" He quipped.

Nikki rolled her eyes. "My brother sent me." She answered patiently.

The wolves shared a look amongst each other and then the first wolf Mako scoffed. "Fine, go ahead." He growled.  
She nodded and led the way past the alcove.

"Oi, so who's your bodyguard?" Mako called.

"None of your fucking business, wolf." Nikki hollered coolly, dragging Kiba by the hand further away.

He looked over his shoulder once they were several blocks away, looking at her again. "Some friends." He mused.  
She shrugged. "Nah, they're just some recruits Zoli conned into being in his pack a few years ago. They're not bad, but they're still asses." She explained.

Kiba huffed. "That makes more sense to me than anything else."

Nikki smirked gently up at him and ribbed him.  
"Don't act so high and mighty, hotshot. You weren't far from that when we first met." She teased.

He rolled his eyes and ignored the flush on his face. "Shut up."

She laughed softly.

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"Oi, Zoli, is this that crate you were talking about?"

"Yeah, that's the one. Put it on the sled."

The old wolf perked up as he caught a whiff of an intruding wolf, a female.  
He straightened from his seat on his favorite battered crate, making the other few wolves around him stop as well and look at him.

A black she-wolf walked towards him, a white wolf at her side.

A wry look crossed the scarred wolf's face.  
"The hell're you doing here, girl?" He wondered, his gold eyes briefly flicking between the young she-wolf and the likewise-young male wolf that appeared to be her bodyguard.

An equally wry smirk crossed her lips at his greeting. "Oh come on, is it just my brother that you consider an ally?" She wondered coolly, stopping short of a few feet away from him.

He extended a hand to her, watching her shake it and grip his wrist in camaraderie. "It's been awhile. What's got your brother that he made you come see me?" He asked, gold meeting blue.

She shrugged.  
"We've been under attack by the nobles for a few weeks and I guess he got concerned that you didn't rendezvous last week. We're still a pack of five – now six – strong, yeah, but other than that I'm not sure why he sent me here." She explained.

Zoli scoffed, "never figured your older brother to be a worrying type. Especially for a pack that isn't his own." He mused.

Nikki shrugged again. "I didn't either. Guess he's getting paranoid because of the nobles."

His gold eyes flashed over to the white wolf at her side. "So who's your bodyguard?" He asked.

Aside from him being her bodyguard, he was wise enough to catch the slight whiff of sex lingering between the two wolves, making it apparent to him that they'd slept together sometime within the past forty-eight hours.

"Kiba." He answered, his tail twitching upward as he met the gold stare of the older wolf.

Zoli nodded.  
"Strong name. You look like you'd give those nobles some hell, like her." He nodded slightly to the she-wolf.

Kiba smirked slightly despite himself.  
"Probably, yeah. Nikki tells me you tried to go to Paradise." He declared, perking the older wolf's ears.

He nodded again. "Yeah, a long while back. What's it to you?"

"You didn't make it."

"No, I didn't."

"Would you ever want to try going again?"

"Don't bet your ass on it."

"Oi pops!" A voice called out, making all three perk up and look about at the stairs leading to the higher part of the station.

A light gray wolf with green eyes trotted up the stairs, pausing short of seeing the two strangers standing near his father.  
Zoli nodded to him, smirking slightly.  
"Nikki, this is Tetsu." He introduced as the wolf shifted into the form of a handsome man about Kiba's age with dark blonde hair and icy gray eyes.

Tetsu nodded to his father, looking at the black she-wolf and flashing a lazy grin. "'Nikki', huh? Sounds beautiful." He said lightly.

She smirked a little at him and glanced at Kiba as he cleared his throat loudly.  
"Yes, it is." Kiba answered for her, his tone brittle as he eyed the wolf.

He met his irritable blue stare and huffed.  
"I'd think this beautiful wolf could answer for herself. She's not mute, is she?" He quipped, his gray eyes turning sharp and making him resemble his father.

His hand holding hers squeezed her fingers as his hackles bristled; she was his and he'd be damned if some bastard stole her from him.  
He was the one she howled for, not this flirting idiot, he deemed.

She looked up at him and smiled sheepishly at the gray wolf.

"If you'll excuse us for a second." She declared, grabbing his wrist and dragging him down the stairs to the bottom floor.

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"What the hell is your problem?" She demanded once they were alone, glaring up at him.

"_**Me**_! You're one to talk, letting that little _shit_ try to charm you!" He snapped.

It was bad enough some other male was trying to charm her, but she was _okay _with it?!

"I'm only being _nice_ to him because Zoli and Tsume are _business partners_!" She spat.

He scoffed.  
"That's bullshit. Just because that bastard is Zoli's son doesn't give him the damn right to try and win you over to be his mate!" He growled.

She lifted a brow. "Is _**that**_ your problem? You think I'm going to let him try and make me his mate: is _that_ it?" She asked slowly, perking his ears.

He looked away at the wall behind her and exhaled heavily, nodding. "Yeah."

Nikki snorted before she smirked up at him. "You **idiot**." She reached to take his chin in her fingers, pulling him down to kiss hard.

Kiba groaned softly and held her tightly, kissing her heatedly and biting her lip.  
She shivered and heard him growl under his breath when she gingerly pushed his mouth away from hers.

"If you think for _one second_ that some dumbass flirt like Tetsu is ever going to make me howl and scream and moan the way you make me do, you're a bigger moron than I ever pegged you to be." She whispered, looking up at him knowingly.

He held her hand to his cheek, sighing. "And if you keep _talking_ that way, you'll force me to repeat last night." He replied in the same tone, his blue eyes tense and raw.

The pool of warmth in her belly heated at seeing his eyes in that rare light, a smile forming on her lips. "Play nice, hotshot." She warned.

Kiba smirked at her and his eyes softened. "So you're not interested."

Nikki rolled her eyes. "_Hell_, no."

He exhaled again. "_**Good**_," he gently pinned her against the wall, briefly surprising her before his head ducked down and he kissed her again, his mouth demanding and hot and tender all at once.

She groaned softly and curled her fingers in his hair, kissing him passionately as the wolf in her howled happily at being close to this wolf that had made her his mate.  
He felt her shiver and he smiled, gingerly pulling away to sigh and press his forehead against hers, his eyes closed.

"I still don't like being someone's property," she began, running her fingers through his hair out of habit. "But I'm getting used to it." She breathed the last sentence, seeing him chuckle quietly.

Kiba kissed her again and pulled back reluctantly. "Good. C'mon, I think we're starting to worry the natives." He mused, taking her hand again and leading her away.

Nikki rolled her eyes and sighed, knowing that he wasn't worried about anyone but her; and strangely, that felt good. She wasn't sure why.

"Whatever."

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He watched patiently as she scribbled a message into a small piece of paper, tying the paper to a passerby crow's right leg.  
The crow cawed and took off, flying into the gale crisp winds of the cold day.

She smiled after the crow, perking her ears as the young wolf from before came to sit with them at the burn barrel they occupied.

His fur bristled slightly but he calmed himself, meeting the young wolf's green eyes. "What're you doing here?" He wondered.

He shouldered a bag onto one shoulder, glancing at the black wolf briefly.  
"My dad said he'd let me go off on my own. I want to fight the nobles, too." He declared, briefly surprising the couple.

He shared a look with his companion before he met the wolf's gray eyes. "If you can fight, I don't care if you follow us." He said.

She met the handsome blonde's gray eyes. "My brother probably won't mind another hand..."

She hopped from sitting on the cold bench lithely to move closer to him, ignoring the white wolf's stare that bore into her skull as she neared the gray wolf.  
Her blue eyes met his icy gray and she smirked wryly.  
"I really don't care which way it goes, honestly. I'll tell you this, though: you try to _fuck_ with me or with _him_," she jabbed a thumb behind her at her companion. "And I swear to the Moon that I'll **rip your throat** **out**. Do we have a deal?" She wondered lowly, meeting the slightly tensed gray wolf's eyes.

He nodded, the tense muscles easing in his arms; a slow grin formed on his mouth. "Whatever you say, love." He mused.

She nodded and huffed, patting his shoulder before she turned to her companion.

"**Don't** think I'm some cheap whore, either, _Iron-boy_; I've got a knife and know how to use it… If you get what I mean, that is." She said over her shoulder.

Both male wolves glanced briefly at their crotches at her warning before Kiba smirked knowingly at her, hoisting his bag over his shoulder and handing her hers.

Tetsu followed them as they started walking away, seeing Kiba's left arm slide to hug Nikki's shoulders possessively, his blue eyes briefly looking back at the gray wolf before they looked at her and he smiled gently.

She ribbed him and smirked, rolling her eyes when he squeezed her shoulders.

This would be a _long _journey back, she figured.

* * *

_**reviews/ helpful critiques are well appreciated! thanks~ :'D**_


	6. Prologue2: Kenji

_::"Kenji" by Fort Minor::_

_**Prologue2: Kenji**_

* * *

A crow cawed as it ducked down towards the traveling wolves.

She extended her arm and took the message tied to the crow's leg, letting it fly away into the ashen burning trees behind them.

"Blue, what's it say?" The tan wolf piped up, stepping closer to his mate as she read the message scrawled on the paper before handing it to the older gray wolf.

"They're heading back." She answered him as their leader read the message before tearing it into pieces.

"Let's keep going; if we keep going at the same slow pace, those soldiers will find us again." The silver she-wolf mused, looking at her mate.

Tsume nodded and crushed the pieces of the message into the ground beneath his boot. "Yeah, let's go." He declared, taking off at a sprint.

Eri, Hige and Blue followed swiftly, each hoping that they wouldn't be found again by the gun-toting humans.

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A loud explosive shook the ground.

She handed him her dagger; he looked at her curiously.  
"I know you don't like guns. Besides, you're faster right?" She wondered, smiling up at him.

He nodded and looked at the broad-side dagger before he smiled at her. "Gotta hand it to you; you come prepared." He mused.

The gray wolf loaded his gun, huffing.  
"So remind me just who the hell these soldiers belong to." He wondered as she also loaded her machine gun, cocking it.  
"The first time they came at us it was Orkham's troops; they were pretty easy to kill. Sometimes we get Jaguara's troops. But today, I'm not sure." She explained, the familiar stink of soldier making her nose wrinkle in disgust.

Tetsu raised a brow. "Orkham? I heard that he died before the war started."

Kiba picked up on that. "So who's leading the attack if not a dead noble?" He wondered more to himself.

Nikki shrugged. "Hell if I know. It's kind of a pain in the ass that way." She mused, leading the charge into the fray.

They needed to cross through the woods even though they reeked of soldier.  
And soon they would reek of human blood.

* * *

_**review/ helpful critique please! thanks~ :') also sorry if this chapter is so short. it's sorta like an introduction for the next chapter. anyway, bear with me, it gets good trust me. **_


	7. No Light: Sing For the Moment

_::"Sing For the Moment" by Eminem::_

_**No Light: Sing For the Moment**_

* * *

A loud howl rang out as a midnight-black wolf hurtled into the soldier preparing to fire at her, making her skid to a halt as the midnight-colored she-wolf ripped the human's throat out, blood flying.

She pulled away from the dead man and straightened, wiping a smudge of blood from her chin. "We were wondering when you'd show." She said, relieved to see her friend alive.

She smiled at her, "Sorry about that."  
She fired at a stray soldier lunging at them, the bullet hitting him straight in the head and sending him down.

Blue rolled her eyes and smirked. "Whatever. So who's the straggler?" She asked, indicating the green-eyed wolf that ripped into the throat of a soldier.

Nikki glanced back at him and sighed. "Zoli's son. He tagged along because he wanted to 'join the resistance'." She explained.

Her clear blue stare flickered at the wolf and she huffed. "He's got spirit." She mused.

"Head's up!"

A knife was thrown at a soldier preparing to fire at them from behind, hitting the soldier's forehead directly and sending him down.

Nikki looked over her shoulder and smiled at the white wolf. "Thanks, Kiba!"

Blue lifted a brow.  
"So you didn't kill each other after all." She guessed.  
She shook her head and chuckled.  
"No, surprisingly."  
She gently shoved her friend aside as she fired the remainder of the round at two soldiers that fired at them, knocking down both would-be assailants. "We made a truce." She added, straightening and blowing strands of black hair from her face.

She smiled. "Well good, that means Hige owes me dinner." She mused lightly.

Both women laughed.

A high-pitched buzzing shattered the intense atmosphere of the wood, making life freeze.  
She grimaced and flashed her teeth as she covered her ears. "I hate that noise."

"What the hell is that?" She heard Tetsu growl nearby as he also seemed to cover his ears.

Kiba stared up past the canopy of the trees and saw something bright flicker in the sky.  
His eyes widened.

"Nikki, **GET DOWN**!" He shouted, sprinting for her side as an eruption shook the earth and a laser shot down on the ground, making the pack scatter.  
She flew back and he dove for her, knocking them away from the exploding dirt of the crater the laser had created.

"Hige!" Blue exclaimed as she moved away from her friends to go to her mate's aid.

Nikki coughed, shaking her head fervently and looking at his scratched face in relief. "Kiba." She said, her shoulders slumping as she saw that he was in one piece.  
Kiba smiled at her and gingerly releasing her from his arms. "Glad you're okay." He said.

Blue shook Hige, scowling at him. "Wake up, you idiot!" She declared, smacking his face.  
His face twitched and he grimaced, "Ow! Geez, Blue!" He barked, rubbing his cheeks sorely and meeting her relieved and angered blue stare.

The buzzing didn't go away.

They perked up as a small aircraft landed gently on the ruined earth, the whirring from the machine powering down when it landed.

She scrambled to her feet and drew a spare knife, a soft growl brewing in her throat.  
Her brother also drew his knife, his free arm extending to block his mate from moving forward.

The door to the aircraft opened then, surprising the pack when they saw who stepped out from it.

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A girl younger looking than Eri with pale violet hair and crimson eyes stepped out, her black wardrobe trailing behind her every step.

Kiba widened his eyes alertly when he looked at the girl.  
"That can't be," he breathed softly, his arms seeming to go numb at his sides as he saw the girl.

He knew that face. Great Moon, did he know that face!

Nikki growled a warning at him, glaring heatedly at the girl, her hackles bristled as her tail was raised high like a flag.

This girl… She smelled strange. It was a combination of the vomitus stench of noble combined with something heavenly like flowers.  
**_Lunar flowers._**

**_This _**was the Flower Maiden? She wondered.

A soft smile crossed the young woman's face. "You are nothing more than wolves. Darcia-sama believed you were humans." She said serenely.

She bristled. "What's your name?" She demanded first, a low growl in her throat.

The girl turned a crimson eye on her and smiled again. "Cheza."

He almost visibly staggered.

She looked at him and growled at the girl. "Funny, legend tells us you wouldn't side with the nobles." She mused lowly.  
The girl smiled once more.  
"History can be misleading. Instead of wolves leading the way to Paradise, it should be humans instead." She quipped.

Tsume scoffed. "Either way it's a load of shit." He declared; he wasn't as shaken as Kiba was at finding out this was the Flower Maiden, but it sure as hell made him pissed off.

"Cheza, you were supposed to lead us to Paradise. Why did you turn?" Eri spoke up patiently; her fur bristled despite her calm expression that met the girl's serene crimson eyes.

Her shoulders shook with soft laughter. "Isn't it obvious? Darcia-sama promised that he would always take care of me. **He **will lead me to Paradise." She explained.

Kiba clenched his fists. "_He's lying to you_! Why can't you see that he's been lying to you?" He barked, surprising the girl briefly.

Her serene expression faltered minutely; _this wolf_, she thought before the serene expression returned.  
"Do not speak of Darcia-sama that way."

A torrent of pain ripped down his spine, shooting down every nerve in his body.  
Kiba cried out, doubling over and hugging himself, his teeth clenched as he fought the pain that shot through him in sharp waves.

A pale barrier blocked him from her sight, surprising the girl again.

Nikki glared coldly at her, her knuckles white as she fought the urge to cringe at his pain. "Leave him alone." She snarled coldly, baring her teeth angrily.  
Cheza laughed softly again.  
"You dare stand between my power and that weak dog." She said, her voice turned cold.

She growled and grunted, flying at her angrily.

An overpowering sense of her muscles failing her overcame her; she fell to the ground, a bright green circle with runes around the circumference lying beneath her crumpled form.

Nikki snarled loudly, her teeth bared fully as she struggled, growling angrily as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"That power of yours is incredible. Though I cannot stay any longer; Darcia-sama wishes that I return to his keep." And just like that, the power on her evaporated into thin air.

She looked over her shoulder at the struggling wolf; she lifted her head shakily to meet her cold crimson eyes.  
"We will meet again, most likely." She said softly, turning her back on them at last and retreating inside the aircraft.

The small ship lifted into the air moments later and then fled.

Kiba panted; sweat beat down his face as he staggered to get to his feet.  
"Don't move, idiot!" Eri scolded, holding onto his arm gingerly as she came to his aid.

He shook her off, seeing Nikki steadily get to her feet.  
She looked shaken, pissed off, and weary.

He saw her sink to her knees again as he neared her, his arms pulling her to his chest.  
Nikki shivered and held him tightly as he shook in her arms, burying her face in his neck.

Kiba closed his eyes in relief.

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The fire burned in the middle of the room, light from the flames bouncing off the burn barrel's tin surface.

He pulled his shirt back on after Eri had tended to his wounds, looking up as she looked up from sitting next to Tsume and Tetsu to gesture for him to come over.

Kiba smiled slightly, grabbing his jacket and handing it to her as he sat down next to her.

Nikki blushed slightly at his gesture, smiling as she pulled it over her shoulders and looked at him. "You okay?" She asked.  
He nodded, smiling for her. "Yeah, I'm fine." He replied.

She smiled a little at him and wiped at a small smudge of dirt on his cheek. "If you say so." She said.  
Kiba smirked a little at her gesture, rolling his eyes. "Don't get mopey on me."  
Nikki huffed and returned the smirk, her eyes briefly teasing. "Don't **look **mopey, then."

Tsume cleared his throat. "So _that_, I take it, was Cheza." He said, interrupting things and making the white wolf perk his ears.

He nodded and lowered his gaze to the fire. "Yeah, that was her."

She followed his line of gaze and huffed. "So much for leading us to Paradise."

"That human. Darcia. He's got her blind." Kiba mused lowly.

"But Kiba, what if that's how it's supposed to be? What if Cheza wasn't supposed to lead us to Paradise?" Eri spoke up patiently, ignoring his slight wince when she spoke the girl's name aloud.

"That's not how it's supposed to be, Eri!" He shot back, quieting her before he looked away reflexively and glared at the fire. "It shouldn't be that way." He muttered.

Nikki looked at him before she scoffed and shrugged off his jacket, straightening to hop over the bench and go to her bag.

"Nikki," he began to call her.

"I'm not talking to you!" She snapped over her shoulder, grabbing her gun and dagger from her bag before stepping outside of the old building.  
He sighed and looked at the older wolf. "I'll get her." He muttered as he straightened and also hopped over the bench, donning his jacket.

"Make sure she doesn't shoot you first!" Hige called as he stepped out after her.

"So what's her problem?" Tetsu muttered more to himself, picking a piece of lint from his hair and throwing it at the fire.

Tsume glanced over his shoulder after the couple's exit and shook his head, scowling at the fire.  
"I don't want to know what happened between her and Kiba, but his seeing Cheza shook him up. Can't say I blame him. But it shook my sister more than she wants to believe."

Blue glanced away from the fire at him, "did she ever believe that she'd find Paradise?"

He huffed. "When she was a pup, yeah. But after we decided to fight in the war, she never mentioned it after that." He explained, continuing to scowl at the dancing embers.

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The bullet shot through the tree, creating a small hole that pierced through the five-inch-thick wood.

She scowled down at the gun, reloading it and aiming at the same tree.

Her dagger flew at the tree, sticking out from its place a few inches away from the bullet hole.

She glanced over her shoulder at her company and scowled, lifting the gun and aiming again. "What part of '_I'm not talking to you_' did you not get?"

He lowered the gun, looking at her. "What's wrong _this time_?" He asked.

Nikki jerked the gun from his hand, lowering it and glaring up at him. "That girl; that was her wasn't it? The Flower Maiden." She asked slowly.

Kiba scowled at her. "You felt it too, didn't you? That pull in your chest." He demanded.

She looked away and aimed the gun and fired. "Why does it matter?"

"It matters because I felt it. And it pissed me off like you wouldn't imagine that that bastard noble has her brainwashed…"

"Don't tell me that shit, Kiba. I felt just as pissed off as you did!" She bristled, glaring at him again before she went to retrieve her dagger. "I was pissed off because she threatened Tsume and everyone else and _you_…"  
She fell silent and glared at the tree.

"Because you couldn't protect me." He guessed.

"**Noone **threatens my pack; or you. Especially you." She whispered, yanking the dagger out and placing it in the sheath.

"Why me?" He wondered, even though he already knew the answer; she was his mate and even though he knew she could fight and defend herself well enough, he still felt like he had to protect her.

Was this really what love was?

She looked calm for a moment.  
"I can't really explain it, but you… You're the only wolf that's ever made me happy. I mean, I feel like an idiot for being such a bitch to you in the first place, but I'm glad I met you. Honestly." She said quietly.

She wanted to say that she loved him, but the part of her that was tough and proud didn't quite let those words pass her lips.

He nodded and reached to gingerly brush some hair from her face. "I'm happy with you too. I really am." He stroked her cheek, seeing her blush slightly.

Nikki smiled before she reached on her tiptoes to kiss his nose, seeing him wrinkle his nose before his arms found her waist and he pulled her to his chest.  
Kiba smirked. "You missed." He kissed her, holding her cheek and squeezing her waist.

She blushed and smiled before she hugged his neck and shivered slightly as he ran the fingers of his left hand down her spine.  
He gently pressed her against the tree, hearing her moan a little as he cupped her breast in the hand that went to her spine.

Nikki gently pushed him away to breathe, panting softly and moaning again when he kneaded the mound gently. "K-Kiba," she squeaked as he kissed her neck.

"What?" Kiba groaned softly, his hand at her breast stealing inside her shirt to continue to tease her.

She shivered and moaned again, slightly knotting her fingers in his hair. "You love me." She guessed, blushing again.  
He pulled away briefly to meet her gaze, his blue eyes tender again. "Like you love me."

Nikki nodded and hugged him again, sighing softly. "A lot."

Kiba chuckled softly and hugged her hips. "You still drive me crazy, but in a good way." He ran a hand through her hair. "And I don't regret any bit of it."  
She kissed his neck. "Good, I'm glad." Then she sighed. "Come on, Tsume's probably getting worried." She mused, reluctantly pushing him back to lead the way to the building.

He made a face and sighed as well. "Guess you're right. He probably thought you'd shot me or something by now." He muttered, catching up to her and slinging his arm around her waist.

She laughed softly and smirked up at him. "Not today, love." She said lightly.  
He made a face. "H-Hey!" He barked, making her laugh again.

* * *

**_reviews/ helpful critiques are well appreciated~ thanks! :3_**


	8. Coracao Selvagem

_:: "Coracao Selvagem" by Yoko Kanno featuring Joyce/ Wolf's Rain OST (2003-2004) ::_

_**Coracao Selvagem**_

* * *

Both males slowly looked up from reading the map. "You want to do **what** now?"

She clapped her hands together and stuck out her lower lip.  
"There's a hot spring nearby this village Tetsu and Hige scouted the other day. Can we please, please, _pretty-please_ go?" She begged.

He shot an amber-eyed glare over at the chatting tan wolf. "You did what?" He demanded slowly, his tone calm despite the underlying growl in his throat.

The tan wolf smiled cheesily at his friend. "It was Tetsu's idea!" He declared.

The gray wolf spat out the water he was drinking, glaring daggers at the tan wolf.  
"**Bullshit**, fat-head! **You** were the one who saw those girls going into the village!" He barked indignantly, continuing to glare at the pudgy wolf.

"Up to your old tricks again, _are you_?" The midnight-black wolf wondered patiently, jerking on her mate's collar and glaring at him.

Hige smiled sheepishly at his mate, uttering a weak laugh.

"A-heh… I love you, **Buru**~." He said, vainly praying he'd be let off the hook with his words.

She sighed and released his collar, cuffing him over the head. "Perverted ham."

Nikki sweatdropped and sighed as she finished polishing her dagger, straightening from sitting on a cut-down tree stump to yawn and stretch her arms.  
"Before you _maim_ Hige or _castrate_ Tetsu, Tsume-nii, the idea of spending time in a civilized place **DOES** sound pretty nice right now." She declared patiently, rubbing her neck.

"Yay, I _knew_ you were my favorite pack-sister~!" Eri squealed as she embraced her friend and hugged her tight, making her yelp slightly before she laughed.

"What the hell am _**I**_, chopped liver?" Blue demanded sorely.

"Pssh, **hell** no, you're too beautiful to be chopped liver!" Hige put in smoothly.

"**You** shush, I'm still mad at you!" She shushed him and glared pointedly at him as he shrank a little from the intensity of his mate's blue glare.

Kiba made a face at her proposal. "You're willing to risk your neck to go to a strange village and use their stupid _hot spring_? The both of you are crazier than I ever pegged you to be." He muttered more to himself.

"Shut it, _dumbass_!" Eri snapped at him, a vein making her left eye twitch annoyedly.

Nikki rolled her eyes. "That is precisely **WHY** I've got a big strong mate like you to cover me in case anything goes down." She pointed out, slightly teasing.

His cheeks colored pink before he scoffed and shot her a look. "Seriously, babe, don't try to suck up to me… Kind of a turn-off." He quipped.

"Before I **puke** my guts out from hearing all this _shit_, it'd be easier if we avoided the village at all costs. There's no telling how those humans would take to strangers. _Especially_ if they support Jaguara or Darcia." Tsume spoke up calmly, ignoring the look he got from his sister and loud curse from his mate.

"Aww c'mon Tsume-nii! What if they never found out we used their hot springs? It's almost dark and most of them would be asleep by midnight…"

"That's even _worse_ than Eri's dumbass idea to go to the village! You'd have to be a complete **dumbass** to not use common sense, Nikki." He interjected, glaring at her.

Nikki glared at him and then scoffed. "Fine, be a jackass."  
She sat back down next to Kiba and folded her arms. "Though if y'don't end up getting laid for saying what you just said, **don't** come whining to me!" She warned him, huffing.

Eri blushed and then scoffed; she shot her mate a look as he also blushed and then coughed.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::BB::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::BB:::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Crickets chirped in the night.

Her feet padded silently as she made it to the hot spring, praying her mate or her brother hadn't noticed she had left the camp.

She hopped over the low fence separating the hot spring from the rest of the wood, landing silently on her feet and she sniffed the air to find there was no human nearby.  
She mentally sighed in relief, seeing the steam rise up from the warm water she stuck a finger in to find it was still good.

Smiling a little to herself, she slipped her boots off and socks, quickly finishing taking her clothes off before she slipped into the water, doing her best to keep quiet while still keeping an ear open for the slightest noise or sign of life.

She sighed openly when noone was around, much to her relief.

"**What** in the name of the Moon are you **doing** here?" A voice demanded behind her, making her jump and duck into the water.

She poked her head up to meet the annoyed and irritable blue stare of her mate.  
Her shoulders slumped as she looked at him and sighed. "_Shit_, you scared me. How long did it take you to find out I was gone?" She asked.

He continued to scowl. "Not long. I didn't wake anyone else up, either." He answered.

She nodded and looked up at him half-hopeful. "We're not going back yet, are we?" She wondered.

Kiba briefly eyed her wet mop of black hair that stuck to her neck and cheeks and sighed. "No, not yet." He sat on the small walkway, seeing her sigh softly in relief.

Nikki smiled up at him. "I owe you." She mused.

He returned the smile, finding she looked cuter with her hair wet.  
"**Big**. I'm not dragging you back yet because one: Tsume would have your head as soon as he found out you left, and two: you'll catch your death out here with your hair wet." He explained.

She nodded again and smirked. "You look bored up there." She mused.

Kiba met her inviting blue stare and rolled his eyes. "Nik, _don't_."

Nikki whined softly and stuck out her lower lip, "**Please**?"

He inwardly groaned at being rendered helpless by her adorable face, sighing.  
"_Fine_, fine." He grumbled, seeing her smile lightly and back-track a little to invite him in as he pulled his trainers and socks off, shedding his jacket and pulling his shirt over his shoulders.

She smiled fondly at seeing his bare chest, the small pool of warmth in her belly heating up more as he pulled his pants off and then slipped in with her.  
Her lips met his as she kissed him, her fingers running down his chest gently.

Kiba shivered at her touch and held her, kissing deeply and hearing her groan softly at his familiar kisses. He gently pushed her away, stroking her spine out of habit. "Not that I'm complaining, but what was that kiss for?" He wondered, meeting her tender blue gaze as she shivered at his touch.

She smiled innocently. "Trying to make you feel _comfortable_? I know you weren't too keen on this idea in the first place." She shrugged.

Kiba stroked her cheek, kissing her forehead. "I wasn't, but I'm getting used to it." He said.

Nikki smiled again and kissed him again, gently leaning onto his chest.  
He smiled again and kisses back, hugging her waist.

"I thought I heard something…"

"It sounded like it was coming from the hot springs!"

Both wolves pulled away; she grimaced and glared furtively at the small building connecting to the hot spring, cursing under her breath.  
He nodded to her, wading as quietly as he could back to the walkway to gather his clothes, leading her after him by the hand as he handed her her own clothes.

She quickly pulled her jeans and panties on, looking at him as he offered his jacket to her.

She shrugged it on before they both fled quickly from the hot spring.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::NIN:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::NIN::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

They both exhaled in relief once they were far enough away from the village, their breaths coming out as soft white fog.

He laughed quietly, smirking at her.

She laughed too, returning the smirk.

He smiled lightly, "you really _are_ crazy."

She giggled and gently pushed his chest, smirking again. "Like **you're** one to talk; if you didn't want to stay, you should've dragged me out."  
He chuckled, "I thought about it, but I didn't after I saw that you looked so cute with your hair wet."

Blush stole across her cheeks and she smiled humbly. "Shut up and let's go, before my brother kills us." She urged, taking his hand in hers.

He smiled and kissed her softly before leading the way back to the camp at a sprint.

She was the only one he'd ever howl for, he realized.  
He loved her despite her tough attitude that melted with his kisses and bites just as much as she would always be there to cover his back or keep him warm.

He wasn't sure, but it really did feel like love.

* * *

**review please. thanks~**


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